Miller Union Opens on Atlanta’s Westside

Renowned Atlanta chef Steven Satterfield, formerly of Watershed, and experienced General Manager Neal McCarthy have joined forces to bring Atlanta a new local eatery: Miller Union, occupying a refurbished mid-20th century warehouse on the site ...

First Look: Pure Taqueria and El Toro

What's with all the sub-par Tex-Mex border cuisine in Atlanta?... By Cliff Bostock Normal.dotm 1 886 5055 Creative Loafing Atlanta 42 10 6207 12.0 false 18 pt 18 pt false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Isn't assimilation a wonderful thing? America wouldn't be America if we didn't invite immigrants to jump into our melting pot (unless they happen to look like

Explore Food and More

As the AJC’s dining critic, I will continue to offer in-depth restaurant reviews and my Top 5 picks of the week every Friday in the AJC’s weekend Go Guide, as well as on-line on the Food & Restaurant’s page of Access Atlanta. Plus I’ll be writing my little fingers off covering special features — like upcoming interviews with Duff Goldman of Ace of Cakes and gluten-free Thanksgiving dishes — in the AJC’s Food and Living sections. Look for coverage of both on-line in Access Atlanta. And you’ll still find my restaurant reviews every week on food writer John Kessler’s Food and More blog.

Starting Sunday, head over to Food and More for dining news and restaurant buzz.  John will explore Atlanta’s food scene with a reinvigorated appetite — checking out interesting newcomers, revisiting forgotten oldies and alerting you to the intriguing ethnic dining options that make Atlanta such a unique food city.

Enjoy!

Chef Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill: Inside The Chef’s Kitchen #3

If chef Kevin Gillespie is still an unknown to you at this point – I’d be shocked.  Even if you don’t find yourself wrapped up in all things food – he is hard to miss.  Complete with a pig tat and a stunning resemblance to Yukon Cornelius, he’s got a style that’s distinctly his own. Outside [...]

Rate Your Favorite Atlanta Restaurants

Lets give Atlanta restaurants a good name! When you get a chance this weekend, vote for your favorite local restaurants on Zagat Survey -- so folks visiting our city will know which ones are the best of the best! After you register on the Zagat, diners can click here to rate and review Atlanta restaurants they've checked out in 2009. Your votes need to be in by Sunday, November 22, when the survey concludes.

Once your votes are confirmed, you'll also be eligible to receive a free Zagat guide. Surveyors with the most witty comments will be awarded $100 Visa gift cards in the Witty Surveyor Contest. Not a bad reward for giving honest comments!

carolina in my mind

I wish I knew where to start to describe the incredible long weekend I just spent in one of my most favorite places with one of my most favorite people. See, Helen (from the delicious blog Tartelette) and I met on our last journey to Asheville, NC - along with several other bloggers you'll probably recognize. We ate and drank everything that wasn't nailed down. Somewhere in between all the gluttony, I totally fell in love with Asheville. As a bonus, Helen and I became blog buddies and work peers and now friends. When she was asked back to Asheville to be a judge at the National Gingerbread House Competition at Grove Park Inn, she asked me to come along. You wouldn't say no either, right?

As it was after my first visit to Asheville, I have a hard time putting all of its beauty and awesomeness into a post. As we did on our first visit, we stayed at Grove Park Inn. Let me gush for a second: it's a beautiful place. Steeped in history, it manages to be cozy and grand at the same time. There is an air of luxury while managing to be warm and accessible. Everyone I've met from Grove Park Inn has been so friendly, helpful, and accommodating.

Honestly, you really could just stay at the hotel and never leave. The views are breathtaking from the Sunset Terrace (where these first photos were taken). The Spa is one of the most remarkable I've ever seen - I fell asleep sitting in the WAITING AREA before my massage...that's how relaxing it is! Every restaurant there is fabulous in it's own way. You can have a 5 star dining experience at Horizons (which we did with the other judges on Monday night) or a scenic lunch at Sunset Terrace, which was where I ate the above lobster cobb salad like I was a pack of wild dogs. 

That having been said, you're going to miss out on a lot if you don't venture out into the city. We've seen (and eaten!) a lot of Asheville in between our two visits. On this last go-round, we started out our weekend with a lovely dinner at Bistro 1896, which is on Pack Square. The short ribs there were to die for. Afterward, it was on to our favorite little spot in town, French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Dan, one of the owners along with his wife Jael, was there....and so was EVERYONE ELSE IN ASHEVILLE. This place was packed - and for good reason. Their truffles and desserts are some of the best I've ever tasted. We also got to sample their maple bacon ice cream, which was a great riff on a classic butter pecan or maple walnut flavor. The next day, we met our friend Dodie (who works for the Asheville CVB) for brunch at Corner Kitchen. Joe Scully, the chef there, has cooked for us on our last trip and we wanted to visit his restaurant. I had a KILLER bloody mary and house-made corned beef hash topped with perfect poached eggs.

Every evening, it was nice to come back to the hotel and unwind with a glass of wine in front of the huge stone fireplace in the Great Hall. We also spent a good bit of time wandering the halls of the hotel ogling & taking photos of the display of holiday trees. You can tell how much effort is put into creating a warm, festive environment in advance of the competition. The trees really are stunning - each of them with their own theme and loaded with gorgeous decorations. Perfect ways to end perfect days in Asheville.

For more photos from the trip to Asheville, see this Flickr set . I'm saving the photos and details from the competition for another post because it's really like nothing you've ever seen and I want to give it all the credit it's due. Stay tuned!

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Fox Bros makes list of best BBQ

    Photo: foxbrosbbq.comMSN City Guides has published its list of the Top 10 BBQ Restaurants in the U.S., and Atlanta's Fox Bros has made the cut.Here's what MSN had to say:"Jonathan and Justin Fox, identical twins, have filled t...

Song Do

Recently I went on a little OTP (Duluth) excursion to Song Do for some Korean BBQ with Chow Down Atlanta, Foodie Buddha, and Sean from Take Thou Food, who recently posted on Song Do. Sean took the lead, ordering all the food, and cooking most of it too (sorry Sean), and we had a great [...]

The Last Thing on My Mind – A Collection of Atlanta Food Blogs

There are a lot of people in Atlanta writing about food – which is good, because there are a crap-ton of restaurants in Atlanta (by my estimation, the exact number lies somewhere between 14 and 12,972 – WolframAlpha was no help…). I’ve met a handful of these bloggers in person, and chatted with a few [...]

PRIMAL coming this Saturday to SweetWater Brewery

A great event is coming to SweetWater Brewery this Saturday, November 21.  PRIMAL describes itself  as "a celebration of the culinary arts' appreciation for wood fired cooking methods, butchers, and whole animal utilization".  Attendees will be able to watch as butchers demonstrate how to break down a cow, pig, goat and lamb.  The meats will then be prepared over wood fires by local chefs.  Attendees will also be able to enjoy sample a selection of wines and brews.  While the meats cook, Grindhouse Killers Burgers will be on hand to prepare sustainable sliders from the freshly butchered brisket and top round cuts.  Farm 255 will also hold a sausage-making demo and provide samples for attendees to enjoy.

Tickets for the event are still available at a cost of $55 for general admission and $100 for the VIP experience.  VIP tickets include the opportunity to sample wood-fired oysters, Allen Benton's Bacon, fire-toasted breads, whole wheels of artisan cheeses (grilled over hardwood), and a selection of reserve wines and beers.  PRIMAL promises to be educational as well as delicious!  The event will be held from 6-9PM this Saturday evening (VIP experience begins at 5:30 PM).  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.artofthebutcher.com or call (404)849-3569

SweetWater Brewery
195 Ottley Drive
Atlanta, GA  30324

Restaurant Review: Antico Pizza Napoletana

Today restaurant critic Meridith Ford Goldman reviews Antico Pizza Napoletana and says a wood-oven-fired pie from here (such as the San Gennaro at left) is “one of the best pizzas you will ever eat.”

I also included Antico as one of my “30 Restaurants in 30 Days” selections.

Have you tried it yet? Do you agree with Meridith’s assessment?

H&F Hotdog

I just want to let you know about this awesome, fantastic, amazing hotdog at H&F. The hotdog is made in-house. It is juicy, tasty, fresh-tasting and does not have that salty, cured meat taste. I would have loved a more snappy casing but the taste pretty much compensates for that. The [...]

‘Best meat on Peachtree’

La Pietra Cucina featuring highest-grade Wagyu beef

Reader mail: A not so happy visit to Varasano's

I received mixed feedback when I posted my rant on Varasano's some time ago. I still stick to my statement and haven't been back since that visit. Well, it seems I'm not the only customer who is less than satisfied with the service.I was copied on an email to Jeff Varasano by BG reader Matthew F. about his less than positive experience. Here's what he wrote (reprinted with his permission of

Mobile Post - Cochon Butcher, New Orleans

Sometimes it's easy to tell that a restaurant's going to be good as
soon as you walk in...

A Religious Experience Awaits

I am currently in rainy NYC on a trip that as planned years ago. Being the huge baseball fan that I am, I had asked for permission (I think I asked. Maybe I just announced.) for a 2009 trip to NYC to see games in both new baseball stadiums (which has since been amended to include [...]

Eat This - OTP Pizza and Gyros

I don't really have too much else for you at the moment except a ton of iPhone pics of my eating ventures. I've also decided to rename this series "Eat This" rather than "Around Town" for no other reason than preference.

LaBella's Pizzeria
2635 Sandy Plains Rd
Marietta, GA 30066
(770) 973-0052

John Kessler unveiled this pizzeria via an article he did at the beginning of the year when he went and had lunch with Jeff Varasano.

A friend and I checked it out shortly after the article and we both liked it. Really liked it. They make their pizzas to order so there are no pre-made ones sitting around waiting to be reheated. I've been back a few times since and it's pretty good stuff. My favorite is their house special pictured above.

It comes with everything on it including onions, which I usually hate on pizza but here it's shaved thin and somehow kind of burns a bit crispy when cooked in the oven. I brought their white pizza to a friend who is a huge connoisseur of that style and she said it was the best she's ever had.

Christos'
2900 Delk Rd SE Ste 1700
Marietta, GA 30067
(888) 820-1322

Christos' was introduced to me by a coworker who happens to love their gyros and the tomatoes that they use in some of their dishes. They also make some pretty good looking Greek-style pizzas which I've never had but they do look delish. They sort of resemble Chicago deep dish but not quite as deep.

I've had various dishes here but the one I always seem to revisit is their gyro plate topped with feta cheese. The last time I was here the pita was over-cooked and a little crunchy but just a slight misstep in an overall consistent restaurant.

Oh, and the tomatoes are pretty good.

Tip: If you go for lunch, this place can get packed so get there early.

Disappointing Meal at Top Flr

My first visit to Top Flr was fabulous (read first review). Unfortunately, the second was sprinkled with kinks that make me question this place's great reviews. Let's start with what did work: the tuna tartar is still on point and we also really enjoyed the white bean hummus. I would recommend these starters with no reservations. The tuna is really a spectacular creation that I could eat almost daily. The problems started with the sweet potato succotash, which on my previous visit, was spiced, creamy and delicious. This time it tasted like the kitchen tried to quick-cook the potato in the microwave - it was not even soft; also, the sauce lacked salt - something rare these days from restaurant kitchens - and the jalepeno cream was virtually nonexistent. This was so disappointing after raving about this dish on our last visit. Upon my complaint the server did take it off our check, however, which was certainly an appropriate gesture. The other items we ordered as a main course: the duck pizza, the goat cheese ravioli and the mac & cheese were not outstanding to me. The duck on the pizza was dry; the ravioli consisted of a small portion of noodle/cheese with some crabmeat and mushrooms, an interesting concept that did not work for me. The mac & cheese was cheesy and tasty but too thick - it seemed like it needed some kind of liquid or additional spice.

For dessert we ordered the pear tart with cardamom ice cream. The main reason I ordered this was because I wanted to taste the interplay between the cardamom and the pear tart. The tart came out with a scoop of raspberry sorbet. When I asked the person who brought out the dish (who offered no explanation initially and was already on to the next table when I called him back ), he really did not seem to know what was going on. The waiter didn't say much either and did not offer to comp the dessert. The sorbet didn't go with the tart at all and although the tart was tasty itself, the experience was ruined for me by the lack of information about the change.

I know you should not judge a place by one bad experience but it will be difficult for me to come back for awhile following these mishaps. Apparently the restaurant is packed on Mondays for their continuing $15 menu. Top Flr has a very cool vibe, a nice beer and cocktail list and some creative food, but based on my two experiences there is dramatic room for improvement on consistency and communication.

Villa Vino

On a cool, rainy day, I made a visit to a new old friend.

Villa Vino is the kind of place that locals can call home. Built like the bar and grills I grew up with, where space was at a premium and every inch was used, this place felt like home.

Sitting snug with its neighbors on Roswell Road, Villa's deck invites the patrons in the front door. Walking in, I see the long bar that connects to the open kitchen on the right, and the tables and booths that line the left. On the walls, original artwork catches my eye.

Much longer than it is wide, this place immediately conjured up images of the New England corner restaurants of my youth. There is a downstairs, with an open floor pattern, complete with its own bar and lined on three sides with tables and padded benches. On weekend evenings, this place comes alive with a young crowd that enjoys a good meal as well as a good time.

I tried a sampling of appetizers and entrees.


The Pesto Brie and Sausage Bread came out first. I really liked the brie, but the sausage bread was even better! Homemade bread, wrapped around sausage with a marinara dipping sauce sounds really simple, but it was so good! Not taking away from the brie or even the garlic knots that followed, but you have to try that sausage bread!


Served next was the Ricotta Ravioli Florentine. A Taste of Atlanta Award winner, this dish is not to be ignored. Ricotta cheese fills this ravioli topped with spinach, onions and mushrooms in a fresh cream sauce. This is a very good meal on a cold rainy day. Very comforting, and very tasty.


Finally, I was served the Villa Special pizza. Not for the faint of heart, this pie had sausage, pepperoni, ham, salami, bacon and ground beef (not the little pebbles of beef you usually get at other places, but strips of ground beef that add texture and volume to the mix). The crust was thin, but soft. The sauce and cheese were there, but didn't try to take over the pie.

Russell McQueary is the manager at Villa Vino. Stop by and say hello to your neighbor. After he feeds you, call me and thank me.